Edit to Add: I don’t think the person who mentioned my failures was being critical . . I think she was just saying that from what I show, all my knitting seemed good. She wasn’t being mean but it did cause me to stop and think about whether I withhold the “bad” but I think except for a few “often but sometimes not” friendly family type disagreements, I pretty much share it all here . . the good and the bad.
The other day, in a comment, someone said something about the possibility that I don’t show my failures. I think it was related to knitting. I’ve pondered that comment. I’m not even sure I really grasp the meaning of failure. Seriously! I asked Vince . . what does failure really mean? His definition . . when you don’t give something your best shot. So, I’ve been thinking . . there have been times in my life when I’ve failed. I don’t dwell on those things. Maybe some folks would see more failures in my life than I see.
My biggest “not so successful” story right now is . . my garden! I always show pictures of the beautiful green garden but this year, it has been a struggle. The grasshoppers ate all 200+ onions down to the ground. I’m still getting the bottoms . . I dig them as needed but I would have had a much better crop if the grasshoppers had left them alone. The grasshoppers moved in way too early and ate the strawberries. Worst of all . . the peas! Even the grasshoppers are discerning enough that they won’t touch these sick peas.
Peas with Rust
See how yellow they are? They have rust which is a fungus. I’ve fought it and fought it and if they aren’t a whole lot better by next weekend, I’m going to pull them up and give up. I think I got bad seeds.
These are peas in another area of the garden, planted at the same time . . same type peas but the seeds were from Baker Creek instead of a local supplier.
Healthy Peas
Losing those four rows of peas is going to mean none to be canned or frozen this year. That hurts! Even if the sick peas do make it, they’re not going to produce much. I may be able to get in a fall crop . . if I could just control the grasshoppers! With the garden enlargement project, and not wanting to plant peas where these sick peas are, I’ll probably skip the fall planting and wait til next spring.
The tomatoes are doing great. The peppers are all doing good. It’s been several years since I’ve had a good pepper crop but I’m real pleased with them this year. I think the eggplants are going to produce enough that we’ll be able to have plenty to dehydrate. The squash . . oh, my! I almost dread looking under those plants to see how much squash is under there. I’ve never made so much squash. The okra . . it doesn’t seem to be doing as great as it should but okra produces so well that I still may end up with plenty. The potatoes are out. I still have some to dehydrate but they’re all dug up. I’m real happy with the amount of potatoes we got. The cucumbers are blooming .. I’ve never ever had a great cucumber crop, which is probably good since I am not a great pickle maker.
I’m really disappointed in the peas. We love purple hull peas and not getting any from four rows of peas is sad. There’s always next year . . and maybe a fall crop. That’s the way it is with gardening, though . . no guarantees.
Back to . . what’s a failure. If I wanted to grow peas but for whatever reason, I never tried . . that would be a failure. Planting the seeds, doing everything I can do to produce a crop and having the crop fail, I don’t consider that a personal failure but just one of those things that happens . . maybe to remind me that I’m not really the one in control of the garden . . that I can use the various things God has provided or made available but ultimately, there’s a higher power and, for whatever reason, these four rows of peas were not meant to be this year. I accept it and move in and hope and pray that it won’t happen again but know .. it very well may.
I am thankful for what I do have in the garden and I am thankful for the reminder that no matter how much work *I* do, it isn’t always up to me!
Tricia says
I think “failure” is a pretty harsh word to use in the context of gardening, knitting, or quilting! Is it really that big a deal if my seams don’t line up perfectly (okay, sometimes it is!) or if you have to rip out a section of your knitting and try again or if the weather/bugs/etc. don’t cooperate with your gardening hopes (it sucks that you did all that hard work and spent all that money, but it wasn’t a failure of character or anything!). Real failures might include being a bad mother or someone who doesn’t lend a helping hand whenever they can. As human beings, we all make “mistakes” each and every day, but I think that you have such a positive personality and are enjoying your life so much right now, that you can see them in context. I don’t think that you have one of those blogs wherein the blogger tries to come off as “perfect” in every area of her life. You show the frustrations of home repair, noisy roosters, scary bugs, etc. all the time. Basically, you show your “real” life, frustrations and all. I appreciate that.
Tricia
Susan says
I don’t consider anything one gives their best to as a failure, I agree with Vince there. What people may term as failure is simply something that didn’t turn out as planned or expected. I usually learn more from things that don’t work than I do from the things that do!
Linda Steller says
Good Lord, Judy! If all you’re doing is blogging about your successes, I’m wondering when in the heck you have time to rack up a bunch of failures! I think you share a lot of great stuff with us. If you’ve had to rip out some knitting you didn’t like, you tell us about it. You’ve been sewing and quilting for so long, plus you do a lot of pre-planning, that I don’t imagine you have many failed quilting projects. I think someone (well, several someones, as sometimes I want to strangle them myself) is just jealous that you have so much energy and really put a lot of effort into your endeavors. I think failure is just the lack of trying. Even mistakes in quilting can be just design opportunities.
Donna F says
Ditto!
Becky in VA says
I agree with Vince – and congrats on all you do!
Donna F says
Judy, I think you are the most down to earth person. You share so much of your life with us, make us laugh, teach us things everyday, and make us really hungry with your recipes! I see those critical comments sometimes and I think “jealousy” is what prompts them. I believe there are quite a few of us that appreciate your blog and your time that you spend on us. You answer our questions & comments fast and you always, always teach me something new; whether it’s a new way to do something or a new perspective on something. Also you are funny, I’m never bored reading about your adventures. You would certainly be my perfect neighbor, teacher, sister, gardener, or long armer but for now you will be my perfect & favorite blogger! I could never see you as a failure cause everything I see you do it’s a win! Thank you for teaching me all that you have and thank you for ignoring negative comments so that you love to keep on blogging!
JoEllen says
OMG! People. Can be so judgemental and small minded! I find great pleasure in reading your blog and I happen to love your stories! Please don’t dwell on the negative comments!! There are so many of us that are your cheerleaders!! Keep doing what you’re doing!
Donna says
I think failure is someone who has to find something wrong with everything and everybody. They can’t be satisfied that a person has a “life lesson” and learns from it rather than counts it as a failure. Must be a dreadful way to live. I for one enjopy your blog…..successes,disappointments, chickens, bugs,garden,fruit trees and most of all you and Vince. If I didn’t enjoy it i wouldn’t come to it every day. Maybe whoever was being negative towards you needs to find a blog where they complain all the time. Just saying……
Mary-Kay says
What does “failure” actually mean? Who uses that word anyway? If something doesn’t turn out exactly as you planned, does that constitute a failure? I don’t think so, I think it means we are learning every time this happens. Now I would be a failure at knitting mostly due to lack of interest and an attempt when I was younger and that was ‘not a success’ at all. Anyway, I love your blog, successes and the not so successful endeavours, especially the battle between the garden and the grasshoppers. That’s life and we should enjoy it, all the ups and downs and wonderfulness of it!
AngieG9 says
Judy, I look forward to your blogs every day. Now, you wanna hear a good gardening story? It might cheer you up about your peas. Mom told this one on her two oldest brothers. Papa (her dad) sent them out to plant the beans in the corn rows one day before they were allowed to go fishing. He kept checking the corn every day to see if the beans were coming up yet, but there were none to be seen. He asked the boys if they planted the seeds and they assured him they had. After a couple of weeks of checking for the shoots to come up, Papa was walking to the house for supper one night and passed an old tree stump that was covered with been sprouts, all growing from the center of the stump, right where my uncles had “planted” them. Mom didn’t tell us what their punishment was, but considering it was during the depression, I’m sure the punishment fit the crime.
Now, go out, plow up those peas, plant some turnips, and get some sleep. This too shall pass.
Carolyn says
love it!
Mel Meister says
This is a difficult topic for me, personally. I believe that “failure” is giving up, quitting… and I start and quit a lot of things. I always ask myself “did I just bite off more than I can chew?” and I really don’t know the answer to that.
I haven’t ever read anything from you that sounds like “failure”. (IMHO anyway…)
Katie M says
Failure, to me, triggers a negative emotion – something I try to avoid. I may try something that did not turn out as I had hoped (or imagined) but that just means it’s the beginning of something better……
Carolyn says
Some would say my garden is a failure….. it’s small I pick 2-3 days of peas or Green beans to get a meal. Some yrs I’m giving away tomatoes, others I hardley get any. Too soon to tell this yr. Lettuce was great this yr, and I think I will be pulling it up bc of the heat. I’m happy, I like my little garden.don’t really care what others say.
Theresa says
What a funny criticism. Knitting and quilting– if something’s not turning out right, we just take it apart and redo it. Failure isn’t a word to use with either, unless a person gives up (and who wants to waste the yarn or fabric?)
Gardens are learning experiences– bad seeds, bad weather, new insects, even when a person is experienced, there’s always something new to learn. It’s a darn shame about the peas, though. And an even bigger one that my HOA won’t let me have a garden, so I’m using containers until I retire and move.
Still– what a funny and judgmental way to see the world, in terms of only success or failure. There’s so much more to us all than that.